Purslane Recipes

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Purslane Recipes

Purslane, Portulaca oleracea, has long been deemed an undesirable plant in the United States and garnered a spot on the Food and Drug Administration's list of pervasive weeds. However, cooks in Greece, China, and Mexico have valued the culinary attributes of this fleshy-leaved herb for many years. The purplish-red or green ground creeping stems bear 1/4 to 1 1/4-inch long succulent leaves, resembling those of a small jade plant. Eat the slightly acidic leaves and stems of this herb raw; or add them to soups and sauces.

Cucumber Salad

Peel and slice three cucumbers and place in a salad bowl. Add 1 cup of rinsed purslane leaves. In a blender, combine 1/2 cup plain or Greek yogurt, 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. red wine or herbal vinegar, 1 tbsp. chopped mint, and 1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper. When ready to serve, blend the yogurt mixture until combined and pour over the cucumbers and purslane. Mix until well coated. As an alternative, omit the vinegar and mint and instead add 1/2 tsp. fresh peeled and minced ginger and 1 peeled and minced clove of garlic.

Pickled Purslane

Rinse one quart of purslane stems and leaves. Cut the stems and leaves into 1-inch pieces and place in clean jars. Divide 3 cloves of sliced garlic and 10 peppercorns among the jars. Fill the jars with apple cider vinegar, put on the lids, and refrigerate for a minimum of two weeks before using.

Sandwiches

Crunchy purslane leaves and stems can be used as a replacement for lettuce or pickles in sandwiches.

Warning

Thoroughly rinse purslane to remove any pesticide residue. (Res 4 ) Be cautious of neighboring spurge when picking wild purslane. Spurge is a poisonous, creeping plant that often grows near wild purslane. Spurge stems are wiry and emit a white, milky sap when broken. (Res 4)

Tip

Purslane seeds are available for home gardens. Use purslane as soon as possible after picking. If necessary, purslane can be rinsed and placed in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator vegetable bin. (Res 3)